Accused ‘kissed woman on the lips by accident’

A NURSE on trial accused of sexually assaulting five women kissed an alleged victim on the lips “by accident”, a court was told.

Andrew Lauder, who worked in a care home, told the jury he was aiming to kiss the woman’s cheek but made contact with her lips accidentally when their heads moved.

The 54-year-old denies 10 counts of sexual assault relating to the period between February 2014 and January 2017.

Giving evidence in court, the defendant also claimed the woman “invited” him to touch her breast following a conversation about tattoos and piercings.

He accepted slapping another woman on the bottom, but said it was “nothing sexual”.

Lauder told the jury the other alleged incidents never took place and suggests the alleged victims made up false allegations together.

In his legal directions to the jury, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “The defendant maintains that the allegations are false and each of the complainants is lying.”

During his closing speech, defence barrister Kevin Seal told the jurors: “Somebody here is telling lies and you will have to decide who it is.”

He questioned the credibility of the witnesses and suggested some of the women’s allegations were “very far fetched”.

Mr Seal also suggested there were “holes and inconsistences” in the prosecution case.

He questioned why the complainants had not reported the allegations immediately.

In his closing speech, prosecutor Nicholas Gareth Jones described Lauder as “a serial groper”.

He said: “It is the prosecution case that this is a man who is the sort of character who cannot help himself but make sexual comments when the opportunity arises.

“He is a serial groper and just cannot keep his hands to himself.”

Lauder, from Station Terrace, Wenvoe, denies 10 counts of sexual assault.

The trial continues.